Palestinian Land Day, 2018

The United States government is consistent in very little, but in its opposition to Palestinian rights, there is no question: it opposes every possible move. Violent actions against the brutal, illegal Israel occupation are condemned as barbaric acts of terrorism, while horrific violence perpetrated by Israel is financed and supported. Peaceful actions, such as the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement, are outlawed in the U.S. (although such laws have not as yet stood up to any court challenges, and are clearly unconstitutional).

So with that dismal record of lack of support for the basic human rights of the Palestinians, it is likely that the planned Land Day events, starting on March 30, will also be condemned.

Land Day commemorates one of Israel’s many slaughters of innocent people, this one on March 30, 1976, when the announced theft of Palestinian land was met with peaceful, unarmed opposition by Palestinians. Israelis, not knowing the mean of peace, killed six unarmed Palestinians. This year, on March 30, Palestinians in Gaza will begin a six-week long event, camping near the Israeli border, and demanding the right of return. Estimates indicate that as many as 100,000 Gazans may take part, and Israeli violence is expected.

What is it that Israel has to fear? According to international law, refugees driven from their homes have a right to return, and this right was promised the Palestinians decades ago. But the concern in Israel goes beyond that. Once again, Palestinians are using peaceful means of protest, when all Israel knows is violence. It is likely that there will be more killing of innocent Palestinians in the next six weeks, as Israel sees almost anything as ‘provocation’ and an ‘existential threat’. The very existence of Palestinians is seen as both. Imagine, now, how Israeli officials will view 100,000 Palestinians, peacefully camping at its always-fluid, ever-expanding borders.

For years, Israel controlled the narrative. It was the vulnerable nation, wanting nothing more than to live in peace and harmony, and needing to continually defend itself against violent Palestinians. Any concept of equal rights for Arabs living within its borders; the recognition of the violence perpetrated against Palestinians when Israel was established; the separate, and much harsher, laws for Palestinians living in Israel; the home demolitions, murders, kidnapping and other unspeakable violence committed by Israel against Palestinians were all swept under the rug.

With the rapid-fire growth of social media, when anyone with Internet access and a camera could have a worldwide audience, control of the narrative began to slip from Israel’s bloody grasp. Around the world, people saw innocent children slaughtered by Israel soldiers on a Gaza beach. United Nations emergency centers, bombed by Israel when filled with people fleeing Israeli violence, became common knowledge. The disproportionate death toll between Palestine and Israel shocked the world.

Although most governments ignored the slaughter, their citizens did not, and that is what most concerns Israel. Study after study indicates that younger Jews have less affiliation and loyalty to Israel, and younger non-Jews increasingly support Palestine. This means that the future leaders of the world will not accept apartheid in Israel. Perhaps this is the reason that Israel has increased settlement building; the government wants to steal as much land as possible, before there is a sea change in governments.

Evidence of this is already available. Right after U. S. President Donald Trump, one of the most dangerous and incompetent leaders the world has known in generations, announced that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a resolution condemning that action was brought to the United Nations Security Council. Only the U.S., with veto power, voted against it. The General Assembly, however, a more democratic body than the Security Council, voted 128 to 9 to condemn the U.S. decision.

Just days ago, the United Nations said that Israel must pay for damages to seven United Nations facilities damaged in the genocidal slaughter of 2014. Israel, of course, says that Hamas was responsible for that damage, despite the lack of any evidence to support that bizarre claim. The fact that the U.N. investigated, and found Israel entirely responsible, is meaningless to Israel’s government. The U.N. is seeking about $600,000, a drop in the bucket of what the U.S. gives Israel annually. In fact, the U.S. provides more than that to Israel every hour.

Even more astonishing, the almost completely unified, bipartisan Congressional support for Israel is no longer accepted as fact. The cracks in that particular wall are small, but for decades it seemed impenetrable.

And now, tens of thousands of unarmed Palestinians are going to put themselves at risk, to demand their basic human rights. The U.N. has already cautioned Israel about targeting civilians, especially children. But Israel has shown complete contempt for anything the United Nations says, so there is little reason to think it will heed this warning.

But what will be the result if Israel decides to take its default position, which is wholesale slaughter? The U.S. will defend it, of course, saying it has the right to defend its borders against people camping near them, on their own territory. But Israel, increasingly isolated in the world community, will find little support outside of Washington, D.C.

Israel and the U.S. are both currently led by militaristic, ego-centric men with little regard for international law of even common human decency. Both face severe challenges to their leadership, due to ongoing investigations of possible criminal activity. They will be united in condemning Land Day activities, and supporting whatever violent measures Israel uses in response. But they will stand alone on the international stage, when the audience is gone, having moved to a different theater, one where human rights have a starring role. There will be no place there for Israel or the United States.